When the fourth-seeded Redwood High boys water polo team beat No. 5 San Marin 12-9 on Tuesday, it was more than just another win — it was the first time in recent memory that the Giants (15-7) advanced to the second round of the MCAL playoffs.

"It was really special," said Redwood's Cayman Bearly-Malinowski.

The game, which was played at Tam, was tied 4-4 after the first quarter, which is a problem that has plagued the team all season.

"This year we've kind of struggled with having weak, or not-so-strong, first quarters. "... San Marin came out really strong and we just tried to match them," Bearly-Malinowski said.

"We got a little nervous in the beginning, but the kids did what they were supposed to do," Redwood coach Rudy Kardos said. "They played their game, and we made a couple of mistakes, but (the team kept it) tied until the second quarter when we started to swim them down a little."

"The main reason we won, as I've said several times before, is that we can win only when we play as a team," he said, but credited junior Bearly-Malinowski, who scored a goal in the second quarter, and sophomores Giorgio Cico, who finished with five goals, and Brandon West, who had three goals.

"They made us shoot outside, and we weren't driving enough and penetrating enough, to get good goals," San Marin coach Carl Lundgren said. "Really, when I'm thinking about it, they just played good defense."

Ryan Campbell had four goals for San Marin (11-8), scoring one in each quarter.

Redwood moves on to face No. 1 Drake on Wednesday, with game time slated for 5:15 p.m. at Tam.

"Tomorrow, the only thing I can ask from my kids again is, don't be intimidated, go into the game and do your best," Kardos said.

Tam 14, Justin-Siena 8

The No. 3 Red-tailed Hawks (19-6) wasted no time putting away Justin-Siena, starting the game with a 7-0 run.

"It was a good chance for some younger players to get some playoff experience," Tam coach Bob Kustel said.

Goalie Eliot Ordway had a shutout for the first half in a game where seven different Tam players scored. Austin Wimberley and Sean Heckler led with three goals each.

"We knew that was going to be our biggest challenge — putting shots past her," Tam coach Katie McLean said. "(We) were good and fired up"... they really want to be in the championship game."

Steals and defense helped fuel the win, McLean said.

"Our main goal was to communicate, and once our team defense usually opens up strong our offense then starts to follow through and that's exactly what happens when you starting getting a bunch of steals, it starts to rev everybody up," she said.

Tam was led by Kristie Lee's three goals.

"I think it was just a culmination of everybody playing on the same level today. It was awesome," McLean said.

As the highest seed left in the tournament, Tam will face No. 2 Marin Catholic at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Justin-Siena 7, Terra Linda 3

With the Trojans missing hole set Amy Higgins, who had an emergency appendectomy over the weekend, Terra Linda could only muster three goals against the Braves.

"We came out a little bit slow, but our seniors picked it up. This is a big MCAL win for them "... so it means a lot to these girls," coach Joey Gullikson said. "We scored mostly on drives — Sarah Marin's a great driver."

Marin lead the team with three goals, and also drew several ejections, Gullikson said, which helped them score.

Losing Higgins "shook our team before we started "... it was hard to play without her, we missed her. We did the best we could with who we had in the water," Terra Linda coach Sophie Waldron said.